Power-picking and lifting apparatus



Sept 17, 1957 0.1a. ANKERSHEIL 2,806,682

POWER-PICKING AND LIFTIVNG APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9. 1955 ATTORNEYS.

- JNVENTORI This invention relates to picking and lifting apparatus and, more particularly, 'to power-picking and lifting apparatus manipulatable to establish the angle of attack and penetration of the .picking and lifting member provided by the apparatus. In one form of the invention the lift: ing pick is provided with means for injecting material, liquid fertilizer for example, into the ground at points below the surface thereof.

There has long been a need for apparatus equipped with a-r'nember operative to both penetrate or to be inserted under an object, the angle of insertion being selectively controlled, and thereafter being operable to elevate the object. Such a device would be useful, for example, in uprooting trees, particularly those that do not have a deep taproot and that have their roots lying close to the surface or the ground. Trees of this character are frequently found in tropical countries. Such a device would v also be useful in that it could insert a member between rock strata and after insertion lift the upper strata of rock free from the underlayers. Other uses of apparatus of this type might be in lifting concrete slabs, railroad sections', etc.

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide apparatus for picking, lifting and for selectively injecting a material into the ground at a distance below the surface thereof. Another object of the invention is in providing power apparatus having a pick member operable also as a' lifting member, means being provided for manipulating the pick member to establish the picking angle or angle of insertion or penetration thereof. Still another object is to equip a truck, tractoror bulldozer and the like with power-driven, lifting-picking apparatus, the lift-pick memher being vertically movable whereby material may be lifted thereby and also pivotal relative to the vehicle whereby the angle of insertion or penetration of the member is selective. A further object is in the provision of apparatus as above described, wherein fluid-pressure'operated members enable, the lift-pick member to be manipulated. Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a broken side view in elevation showing the apparatus of my invention attached to a vehicle; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a modification.

The lift-pick apparatus of my invention is adapted to be secured to a vehicle of some description. While any vehicle might provide an appropriate mounting therefor, it is'preferred to mount the apparatus on a bulldozer such as the onepartially indicated in Fig. 1 and that is designated generally with the numeral 10. Any bulldozer of customary design may be employed and in the particular illustration set out, the bulldozer is one that is conventional and has the engine portion 11 thereof mounted to one sideso that a considerable space'e'xists between the side of the engine section 11 and the track or tread 12 United States Patent 7} on on'e side thereof. Since bulldozers of this type are well known in the art, a further description thereof is believed unnecessary and will not, therefore, be set out. It will beappreciated that while a bulldozer is shown, that any tether vehicle such as a truck, tractor, army tank, 'etcJmay'b'e used just as readily. h V

Secured to the bulldozer 10' in any appropriate and 'conventional man ner is a frame 13 that preferably consists of a pair of spaced-apart parallel members that ex} tend generallyiii'a horizontal plane. The frame 13 may be attached permanently to the vehicle 10, but I prefer to attach the frame so that it is removable and therefore the apparatus of my invention may be reifiove'dffadily from the vehicle, if this'is d'esired. At the forward ends thereof, the frame 13 is equipped with a pair of vertical channel members 14, as is seen best in Fig. 2. The chain nel meinbers 14 may be rigidly secured to the parallel frame members in any'suitable manner, such as by weldmg. The channels 14 have inwardly-extending flanges that providetherebetween a guide channel 15.

Slidably mounted within the guide channels 15 is a shaft'16 that may be'equipped at each end with suitable rollers or other frictionless members 17 so that the axle moves freely through the guide channels and further, so that the axle or shaft 16 'i's pivotal relative to the channel members 14. Rollersand bearings of conventional design may be employed on the ends of the shaft16 and are set to provide the desired vertical and pivotal move: ment of the axle; I I V V V t 'Rigidly secured to the shaft 16 at substantially the midpoint thereof is a lift-pick member 18 having a substantially vertical portion 19 formed integrally with a generally 'fo'rwardly extending point portion 20. The member 18 should be formed of a material that is tough and strong, and preferably the point portion 20 of the member is hardened so that the tip thereof is not easily damaged when it is inserted between rock strata and other objects that are to be lifted or moved, etc. The member 18 may be rigidly secured to the shaft 16 in any desired manner, and preferablythe member 18 is provided with an opening therethrough into which the shaft 1 6 is iiiserted'. The'shaft may then be welded to the member 18.

Also pivotally *mounted upon the shaft 16 at'po ints on each side of the member '18 thereof are a pair of power-actuated cylinders 21. The cylinders 21 are equipped with the usual casing portion 22 that provides a chamber therein and through which moves a piston member that is 'not shown in the drawing. The piston in each of the cylinders is equipped with the usual piston rod or shaft 23 that is provided at its lower end with an eye or annular member24 having an opening therethrough that slidably and pivotally receives the shaft16. Axial positioning of the piston rod 23 relative to the shaft 16 is accomplished by the stop collars 25 provided on each side of the eye member 24 and that are rigidly secured to the shaft 16. Thus the pismas 21' ma be actuated to raise and lower the lift-pick member 18. As can be seen best in Fig. l, the cylinders 21 are each provided'with ports 26fand 27 respectively at the lower and uppe'r endsthereof which are in open communication with flexible conduits 28 that supply pressure fluid to the cylinders. The conduits 28 are, of course, cohbe rigidly secured to the frame 13 or bulldozer 10 so that movement of the piston rods 23 will be effective to Patented Sept. 17, 1957 asoaese selectively raise and lower the member 18. This rigid mounting is accomplished by equipping the frame 13 with support members 29 that extend upwardly and forwardly therefrom and that are secured rigidly at their upper ends to the casings22 by means of the mounting plates 39 and cap screws 31.

At its upper end the lift-pick member 18 is provided with an opening therethrough that pivotally receives therein a stub shaft 32. The shaft 32 is equipped at each end with a link-33 and-the links 33 at their opposite ends are pivotally secured respectively to the piston rods 34 of power cylinders 35. The cylinders 35 are substantially identical with the cylinders 21 and are equipped with the usual casing 36 that provides a cylinder chamber therein that slidably receives a piston that is secured to the piston rod 34.

As is seen best in Fig. 1, the cylinders 35 are equipped with rear ports 37 and forward ports 38 that are in communication with fluid-pressureconduits 39. The conduits 39 are operatively arranged at their opposite ends with a suitable fluid-pressure source controlled by valves, etc. so that fluid pressure is applied selectively to either the rear port 37 or forward port 38 to move the pistons within the power cylinders 35 in the appropriate direction. The cylinders 35 are rigidly secured to standards 40 that are in turn rigidly carried by the frame members 13 so that movement of the piston relative to the outer casing of the cylinders 35 may be accomplished upon the application of pressure fluid.

Preferably, the links 33 are pivotally secured to the ends of the piston rods 34 by means of a shaft 41 that is rigidly connected to the links but is pivotal relative to the rods 34. Similarly, the shaft 32 is preferably connected rigidly to the links 33 while being freely pivotal relative to the member 18.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 the structure is identical in all respects with that heretofore set out, and the only change is in the lift-pick member which is now designated with the numeral 18:: to indicate that there has been a modification in this member. It is readily seen that the member 18a at its lower forwardly-extending end 20a, is provided with an elongated passage 50 therethrough that terminates at its forward end in an opening 51 through the wall of the portion 29a, and at its rear end in a port 52 that receives a coupling 53 arranged with a flexible hose 54 that, at its opposite end, will be operatively arranged with a source of liquid which may, for example, be a fertilizer in liquid form. It will be apparent that if a fertilizing liquid is discharged under pressure through the tube 54 that it will flow through the elongated passage 50 and will be ejected from the discharge port or opening 51 in the lift-pick member 18a.

Operation In operation of the apparatus it will be found that it is frequently desirable to insert the lift-pick member 18 or 18a under an object that is to be lifted as, for example, a concrete slab, or to insert the member between rock strata to achieve a separation of the layers thereof. Regardless of what the object is, if it is at an elevation slightly above the surface of the ground the power cylinders 21 are actuated in the appropriate direction to raise and lower the member 18 so that the forwardly extending portion 28 thereof will engage the object at the desired point. The bulldozer may then be moved forwardly so that the pick or forward portion 2% moves into or under, etc., the object. Thereafter, the cylinders 21 are again actuated to raise the member 18 which will thereby lift the object which will be re ceived and supported upon the portion 20.

Rather than directly lifting an object under which the portion 24} is inserted, it may be necessary to rock or pry the object to break it loose. This may be accomplished by actuating the power cylinders 35 which will be operative to move the upper end of the member 18 forwardly or rearwardly, as the case may be, and since the member 18 is pivotal about the shaft or axis 16 the member may be moved progressively through various angular positions such as the one indicated in phantom by the dotted lines inFig. 1. It may at times be necessary to move the forward portion 20 of the member 18 into the ground and this may be accomplished by setting the angular position of the member 18 as may be required, and by then moving the bulldozer forwardly which will effectuate a penetration of the member 18 into the ground. Fig. 1 also illustrates such a position if the dotted horizontal line is assumed to be the upper surface of the ground.

The apparatus is manipulated in the same manner and to the positions that may be required in the fertilizing modification shown in Fig. 3, and when the forward portion 20a has been moved to a point about the roots of a tree or bush, etc., liquid fertilizer may be ejected from the port 51 and will penetrate the ground in the areas of the roots and fertilizing is thereby accomplished.

It will be appreciated that the apparatus disclosed may be manipulated through an infinite number of angular positions and at the Sametime raised and lowered so that the lift-pick member 18 or 18a can be inserted into the ground or can be slid into or under whatever objects it may be desired to lift or tilt, etc., and at the same time the member 18 or 18a may be moved vertically through an infinite number of positions within the range of vertical movement provided.

While in the foregoing specification embodiments of the invention have been set out in considerable detail for purposes of adequately describing the invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that numerous changesv in the details set out may be made without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention.

I claim:

1. In lift-pick apparatus of the character described, a frame adapted to be mounted on tractors and the like in a generally vertical relation with respect thereto, a generally L-shaped lift-pick member carried by said frame for bodily movement in generally vertical directions with respect thereto and for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversely of said frame adjacent the vertex of said L-shaped member, power cylinder means rigid with respect to said frame and connected with said L-shaped member a spaced distance from the aforesaid axis to pivot the same selectively in alternate directions thereabout, and additional power cylinder means rigid with respect to said frame and coupled with said L-shaped member for selectively moving the same in alternate vertical directions relative to said frame, each of said power cylinder means being independently operable whereby vertical and pivotal movement, and combinations thereof, of said L-shaped member are provided.

2. In combination with a vehicle, a frame mounted thereon for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis, said frame being ordinarily vertically oriented with respect to said vehicle, shaft means supported by said frame for longitudinal movement with respect thereto in generally vertical directions, a generally L-shaped member carried adjacent the vertex thereof by said shaft means for pivotal movement about the axis defined thereby, power cylinder means mounted on said frame and being connected with said shaft means for moving the same in the aforesaid generally vertical directions, and additional power cylinder means carried by said frame and being connected with said L-shaped member a spaced distance from the shaft means for selectively pivoting the .'.-shaped member in opposite directions about, the axis defined by said shaft means, each of said power cylinder means being independently operative whereby generally vertical and pivotal movement, and combinations thereof, of said L-shaped member are provided.

3. Lift-pick apparatus, comprising a vehicle, a frame rigidly secured to said vehicle and being equipped at the forward end thereof with a pair of spaced-apart channel members, a shaft carried in said channel members for both pivotal and vertical movement, an L-shaped liftpick member rigidly secured to said shaft, power cylinders rigid with said channel members and operatively arranged with said shaft for moving the same in vertical directions relative to said channel members, power cylinders rigid with said channel members and operatively arranged with said lift-pick member adjacent the upper end thereof for pivoting the same in either direction about the longitudinal axis of said shaft irrespective of the vertical position of the shaft, and means for supplying pressure fluid to said power cylinders for actuating the same.

4. An apparatus of the character described, a frame adapted to be rigidly secured to tractors and the like in a generally vertical relation relative thereto, a shaft extending horizontally across said frame for vertical move ment relative thereto, power cylinder means carried by Said frame and operatively connected to said shaft for moving the same in vertical directions, a generally L-shaped member carried by said shaft for pivotal movement about the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and power cylinder means also carried by said frame and positively linked to said L-shaped member adjacent the upper end thereof and being horizontally oriented for pivoting said L-shaped member in either direction about said longitudinal axis of the shaft, each of said power cylinder means being independently controlled whereby vertical and pivotal movement, and combinations thereof, of said L-shaped member are provided.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said first-mentioned power cylinder means are vertically oriented and extend along the vertical axis of said frame.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said second-mentioned power cylinder means are equipped with plungers, and in which link members pivotally connected at one end thereof to said plungers and at the other ends thereof to said L-shaped member provide the positive link between the power cylinder means and the L-shaped member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,421,472 Way June 3, 1947 2,598,121 Hannibal May 27, 1952 2,619,054 Bell Nov. 25, 1952 2,624,959 Anderson Jan. 13, 1953 2,625,278 Sensenbaugh Ian. 13, 1953 2,652,639 Kluckhohn Sept. 22, 1953 2,660,939 Pool et al Dec. 1, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 152.527 France Dec. 8, 1882 

